New Brunswick groups give views on TPP to parliamentary committee
A parliamentary committee studying the Trans Pacific Partnership heard from about a dozen labour groups and businesses in Saint John Monday, depicting the trade pact as both a job killer and employment booster.
Irving-owned Cavendish Farms, represented by the director of quality assurance Peter Johnston, said the trade deal will help the company tap into international markets and increase sales.
But Jessica Smith of Unifor, which represents 30,000 workers in Atlantic Canada, worries the TPP will export jobs to countries with cheaper labour costs.
"The most pressing, biggest concern is that we're going to be losing a large amount of jobs ... tens of thousands of jobs across Canada," said Smith, a campaign co-ordinator with Unifor.
'Great possibilities for New Brunswick'
The TPP is Canada's biggest trade deal since NAFTA, involving 12 Pacific Rim countries such as the United States, Japan, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand. It would reduce or eliminate tariffs entirely on a range of products and services, including the auto, fisheries and forestry sectors.
The federal government signed the deal in February. But before Parliament votes on whether to ratify the pact, which would account for 40 per cent of the world's economic output, the international trade committee is hearing from communities across Canada as part of its study of the TPP.
Karen Ludwig, Liberal MP and international trade committee member, said the deal could benefit New Brunswick.
"I think it definitely has great possibilities for New Brunswick, depending on how it's played forward. But also taking in the local concerns and how to bring everybody up," said Ludwig.
Labour groups sound alarm bells
Labour groups are raising concerns the deal will drive up the cost of pharmaceuticals and undermine the health and safety standards for products coming into Canada.
Jean-Marc Ringuette, a business manager with the international brotherhood of electrical workers, said the biggest red flag is the potential degradation of workers' rights in Canada.
"It could bring in labour from a foreign county who would not be up to Canadian standards that were established by Canadians over the many years and exploit those people and allow Canadian jobs to be filled by people who are not Canadians first," said Ringuette.
Still no compensation for dairy farmers
Stephen Harper's former Conservative government promised a $4.3-billion compensation package to dairy farmers to counter any negative effects of the deal on the industry, but the Trudeau government hasn't committed to a firm dollar amount.
Paul Gaunce, chairman of the New Brunswick Dairy Farmers, said a deal is in the works, but it will take a decade to assess how much damage the TPP would have on the industry.
The group objects to giving up part of its controlled market to foreign imports.
But Gaunce said they'll support TPP if they're compensated by the federal government fairly for lost market shares.
" And it's just ridiculous that farmers can't get a fair return."
The pact would give TPP countries access to 3.25 per cent of Canada's annual dairy production.
The deal must be ratified by February 2018.
